VCU Developments

[Transit]

The renderings actually look really cool, particularly the Laurel Street deck. Wonder what the block would look like if Sahara had sold..

Where did the info about the IHOP only being take out come from?

[wrldcoupe4]

"IHOP will be an express location: a counter-service restaurant with no sit-down dining and a non-traditional menu. VCU’s Student Government Association expressed concern about the lack of a dine-in area but, according to Highsmith, the speed of service necessitates counter service."

[540_804]

I'm not totally sure I buy the "speed of service" argument. VCU and Aramark operate many other dining facilities and speed of service has never been an issue at any of them (except Subway with its infamous 2 hour line wait time on Sundays..and they don't really offer much in the way of sit-down dining so its not really comparable).

When I heard that it would not offer a dine-in option, I immediately thought that it may have had something to do with the presence of the internet-cafe-sprite-nightclub (formerly known as Hyperlink and Xclusive among other names) across the street.

From what I understand, VCU has had a somewhat contentious relationship with the club, its owners and its patrons for quite a while now. Stemming from the conduct of some of the club-goers and, rumor has it, VCU wanted the property but the owner would not sell.

The club is popular among VCU students but also attracts quite a few non-student partiers among which a small minority have been known to cause problems. When I lived in the dorms across the intersection I witnessed fights and on a few occasions heard gun shots only to look out of my window and see literally hundreds of people running from the scene.

In my opinion, it seems that the dine-in restrictions are meant to keep the "undesirables" from the place. The early close time and non-24hr format only reinforces this idea: a 24 hour diner would become a hotspot for the club-goers and potentially a hotbed for problematic activity.

I can kinda follow the logic of closing early and not doing the 24hour format. But I think not having on-site dining may be a mistake. As a student living on campus, one thing I always wanted more of was sit-down dining where I could eat and socialize with my friends, not just another place to grab a plate and scurry back to my dorm. I think a sit-down diner would be wildly popular among students. Anyone who has stood in line for an hour to take part in the midnight breakfast held every semester at Shafer would agree.

Of course, this is all just speculation on my part.

[Transit]

Did you live in Rhoads or Brandt? I lived in Brandt facing Laurel and never witnessed anything, but I know others that witnessed exactly what you're describing.

I agree that as VCU transitions to a mostly residential campus, they're in serious need of more extensive dining options- particularly sit down. I feel that they could've required VCU ID i.e. the library after 10PM if your reason is why they chose not to include a dining-in/twenty-four hour option (and it makes sense). Maybe the inside of this will be like Shafer with a few seating options around since a "glorified food court" is described? Still, a full 24 hour IHOP location that took swipes and dining dollars would've really cashed in for the school.

[540_804]

Did you live in Rhoads or Brandt? I lived in Brandt facing Laurel and never witnessed anything, but I know others that witnessed exactly what you're describing.

I agree that as VCU transitions to a mostly residential campus, they're in serious need of more extensive dining options- particularly sit down. I feel that they could've required VCU ID i.e. the library after 10PM if your reason is why they chose not to include a dining-in/twenty-four hour option (and it makes sense). Maybe the inside of this will be like Shafer with a few seating options around since a "glorified food court" is described? Still, a full 24 hour IHOP location that took swipes and dining dollars would've really cashed in for the school.

You know, this last line actually reminded me of something that could be another possible reason for the limited hours/no dine-in option.

When VCU/Aramark operate these franchises (Subway, Pizza Hut, IHOP) they have to pay franchise fees and royalties. On the other hand, VCU keeps full proceeds from their dining halls like Shafer and Cary and Belvidere (less the fees Aramark charges to operate these facilities).

I talked to a Subway manager (the Subway inside of the commons) and he told me the reason they only accepted meal swipes on Sundays is because they weren't allowed to compete with the main dining halls (e.g. Shafer) for meal swipes.

Perhaps they fear operating a 24-hour, sit-down IHOP that accepted meal swipes would be direct competition with their more profit-strong dining halls like Shafer.

Hopefully you're right about the seating options within the facilities, similar to what you find in Shafer and the Commons.

[burt]

The Rams are not the only ones to be proud of at VCU.

Its Medical School ranks highly as does the School of Advertising.

But the Fine Arts Department is WAY up there in the ratings.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news-video/2011/apr/01/vcu-art-school-also-a-top-4-80348-vi-25713/

[burt]

The VCU Rams participation in the NCAA Final Four is paying financial and recognition dividends.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2011/apr/09/4/tdmain01-vcu-winning-even-after-defeat-ar-960920/

[calwinston]

The VCU Rams participation in the NCAA Final Four is paying financial and recognition dividends.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...feat-ar-960920/

Many Americans fail to realize the NCAA tournament is brodacast around the world! I was in Panama City, Panama this week and the News had a whole segment on VCU's run to the Final Four! This notoriety does not just come nationally but it has implications internationally! VCU needs to capitalize on this now!

[540_804]

Many Americans fail to realize the NCAA tournament is brodacast around the world! I was in Panama City, Panama this week and the News had a whole segment on VCU's run to the Final Four! This notoriety does not just come nationally but it has implications internationally! VCU needs to capitalize on this now!

I have a Korean coworker who told me his family and friends in Korea have been requesting he send them VCU tees and other VCU related fan gear.

[540_804]

James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin, art collectors and philanthropists, are donating $25 million to Virginia Commonwealth University in recognition of the work of neurosurgeon Harold Young.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/lifestyles/news/2011/apr/28/tdmain01-vcu-gets-major-financial-gift-ar-1001220/

[540_804]

From the latest "Periodic Update":

VCU also received word in late April that the state has approved construction of the 102,000-square-foot classroom building at the corner of Linden and Floyd streets in the heart of the Monroe Park Campus. The building will be home to the School of Social Work and some other departments. Construction is expected to begin this summer.

To read the full text of the Periodic Update: http://www.president.vcu.edu/updates/20110516.html

[burt]

From the latest "Periodic Update":

To read the full text of the Periodic Update: http://www.president.vcu.edu/updates/20110516.html

The new class room building will be quite big at over 105,000 s/f.

Are there any renderings available?

If I'm not mistaken Floyd Avenue and Linden Street is also the site of the VCU Commons Building, isn't it?

[540_804]

The new class room building will be quite big at over 105,000 s/f.

Are there any renderings available?

If I'm not mistaken Floyd Avenue and Linden Street is also the site of the VCU Commons Building, isn't it?

Yes, the VCU Commons is also at Floyd and Linden. The new proposal will be diagonally across the Floyd-Linden intersection from the Commons, adjacent to the Library.

Here is a bit of information I was able to find on the project. Note that this information is a few years old and may be a little outdated:

The building design, shaped to reflect VCU's academic mission and interactive teaching format, combines formal and informal collaborative spaces with large classrooms, many with occupancies in the hundreds. To provide an opportunity for physical and intellectual freedom, classrooms have about 20 percent more square footage per student than required, giving instructors room to move around and interact with students.

Located at a crossroads of city and campus activity, the building creates connections between interior and exterior spaces. A large courtyard allows indoor interactions to spill outside on warm days. Vegetated green roofs provide garden views from inside and help regulate indoor temperature and manage storm water. The building facade incorporates red brick masonry, cast stone, and metal detailing to tie in to Richmond's historic, vernacular architecture. The design integrates different levels of building scale to transition elegantly from the city's small-scale residential neighborhoods to the larger scale of VCU campus buildings.

The renderings:

[burt]

Yes, the VCU Commons is also at Floyd and Linden. The new proposal will be diagonally across the Floyd-Linden intersection from the Commons, adjacent to the Library.

Here is a bit of information I was able to find on the project. Note that this information is a few years old and may be a little outdated:

The renderings:

Thanks, 540-804, for the excellent renderings and descriptions. The way I figure it, the two north/south streets are Linden on the right and Harrison on the left. Floyd runs east/west at the bottom, and paralleling it at the northern edge of the plot is the alley between Floyd and Park Avenues. The Cathedral of The Sacred Heart is on the east side of Linden Street, and the VCU Commons is on the south side of Floyd Avenue.

[Steve_]

It looks like this will be a nice addition to the campus. Burt you've got the streets correct but your frame of reference is shifted by a block - directly south is the Business bldg and directly east is the library

[burt]

It looks like this will be a nice addition to the campus. Burt you've got the streets correct but your frame of reference is shifted by a block - directly south is the Business bldg and directly east is the library

Thanks for reorienting me, Steve. What is the name of the street that runs one block south of Linden? It starts (I think) at Main Street directly behind the stage of The Landmark Theatre and runs north to Park Avenue (or Cathedral Place.)

[Icetera]

Thanks for reorienting me, Steve. What is the name of the street that runs one block south of Linden? It starts (I think) at Main Street directly behind the stage of The Landmark Theatre and runs north to Park Avenue (or Cathedral Place.)

Are you referring to S. Cherry St.? It is one block East of Linden (Linden is North-South) and runs South from Park Ave./Cathedral Pl. (though it appears to be named Cathedral Pl. North of Floyd) behind the Landmark all the way down across the Expressway into Oregon Hill.

[burt]

Are you referring to S. Cherry St.? It is one block East of Linden (Linden is North-South) and runs South from Park Ave./Cathedral Pl. (though it appears to be named Cathedral Pl. North of Floyd) behind the Landmark all the way down across the Expressway into Oregon Hill.

That's it, Ice. Thanks. Although the street I was asking about would be NORTH Cherry Street if it were not now called Cathedral Place (Main Street is the dividing line between north and south.) Actually, Cherry Street goes all the way south to the Hollywood Cemetery entry arch.

Edited May 19, 2011 by burt

[burt]

ACTION, AT LAST!

We first talked about an art space to replace Anderson Gallery in this thread about 3 years ago. VCU still has some fund-raising to do, but at last, there's some positive movement on the project.

VCU has hired an architect to begin design work on the art gallery at the southwest corner of Broad and Belvidere streets. The building will be about 32,000 square feet in size and cost a little over $19 million.

Steven Holl is prominent in the field and is described as "a cultural architect" internationally known for his work on art galleries and museums.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...ins-ar-1051668/

Edited May 20, 2011 by burt

[540_804]

Steven Holl is a fairly world-renown architect that has really been getting a lot of attention recently. I wouldn't quite call him a starchitect yet, but he's getting close.

I'm excited to see what he comes up with. Knowing some of his past projects, I'm sure it will be unique, and likely controversial.

I wonder if this marks the beginning of a trend for VCU: choosing high-profile architects for VCU's high-profile projects. If you remember, the new VCU Medical School tower is a collaboration between Ballinger Architects and Pei Cobb Freed and Partners. Pei Cobb Freed is one of the most well-known architectural firms in the world.

[Steve_]

more good news! I'm very glad it looks like they're not going to short change this one (like some of the awful buildings that have gone up on that stretch of Broad). It makes sense all around - it plays to one of VCU's strengths and takes the success of the art walks down Broad another step forward. Thats a very strategic intersection - I hope the design is something truly memorable

[Transit]

VCU is doing a lot of in-fill around the campus to bring it together. I'm pretty sure that Floyd & Linden is mostly just parking now so that'll be a nice change. I am awaiting the day construction minimizes though..at least the Laurel & Grace deck is going up quick. Now how about some more class sections and better professors to fill that new classroom space with? Asking too much? With tuition going up another $700 (9%) on top of the 24% increase last year, I want some true results out of it...

[540_804]

News of VCU's new Art Institute to be designed by Steven Holl has made its way to some major architectural publications including Arch Daily...'the world's most visited architecture website'

http://www.archdaily.com/138324/steven-holl-architects-to-design-an-art-institute-at-virginia-commonwealth-university/

[burt]

News of VCU's new Art Institute to be designed by Steven Holl has made its way to some major architectural publications including Arch Daily...'the world's most visited architecture website'

http://www.archdaily...lth-university/

540-804, thanks so much for this Arch Daily story about Steven Holl's selection as architect for VCU Art Institute.

Since page two of the magazine has an amazing story about Richmond's modern architecture, I've also posted the story under the thread titled Richmond Development. It can also be accessed in your link above but I thought more people would see it in the other thread.

Richmond, referred to as "The Cinderella City" because two of its universities acheived Final Four status, is the smallest city profiled by Arch Daily.

Edited May 27, 2011 by burt

[burt]

An example of architect Steven Holl's work is pictured at the top of this story about VCU's planned Art Institute at southwest corner of Broad and Belvidere Streets. The building pictured is Simmons Hall at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.

The VCU project is projected to open in 2014.

From the June 1st RVANews:

http://rvanews.com/news/renowned-architect-to-design-new-contemporary-art-building-for-vcu/43270?utm_source=Weekly+Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=a954497948-RVANews_Weekly_Digest